Sin Cara: Does He Have a Future in WWE Without Rey Mysterio as His Partner?

While the name "Sin Cara" translates literally to "faceless," Sin Cara's WWE career to this point has been two-faced, as he has made a ton of progress with Rey Mysterio as his tag-team partner. Teaming with Mysterio is a great option for now, but once Mysterio retires, Sin Cara faces a tough road to prominence.

Sin Cara came to the WWE initially in April of 2011 and he immediately received a favorable reaction from the fans. His mystifying move set, explosive entrance and colorful ring attire captivated the audience, specifically the children.

It soon appeared as though Sin Cara was all sizzle and no steak, however.

His in-ring feats were impressive, but he began to make mistakes on a regular basis, which made both him and his opponents look bad. On top of that, Sin Cara violated the WWE's wellness policy just a few months into his tenure, which resulted in him incurring a 30-day suspension.

Not long after, Sin Cara suffered a rupture of his patellar tendon that would keep him out of action for several months. To say that Sin Cara's WWE tenure got off to a rocky start would be an understatement. He eventually returned and the fans were once again receptive, but he had nobody to feud with, and the fact that he can't cut a promo in English really limits him as a singles performer.

The creative team obviously realized that Sin Cara was floundering, so it took action when Mysterio returned from a long-term knee injury of his own. In an effort to ease Mysterio back into action and to revitalize Sin Cara's sputtering career, the two luchadores were placed in a tag team, and it has proven quite beneficial to both of them.

There is no question that Sin Cara has been the true winner, though. Mysterio would have thrived regardless of what role he was thrust into, but Sin Cara needed something to revitalize his career. Mysterio's presence seems to have improved Sin Cara as a wrestler in many ways, as he is much safer and crisper in the ring, plus he has someone who can do the bulk of the speaking for him.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Mysterio is 38 years old and has balky knees, so his time as an in-ring competitor is wearing thin. Perhaps he has a couple years left in him, but he's wrestling on borrowed time at this point. Mysterio has nothing left to prove since his legacy is cemented, but Mysterio's departure could be a major stake in the heart of Sin Cara.

If it happens in the near future, there is a real possibility that Sin Cara could fade back into obscurity if the WWE doesn't brace for it ahead of time. Provided Mysterio leaves suddenly, Sin Cara will be in a tough spot. He can't be expected to get over on his own accord without being able to speak English, which is pretty much a prerequisite when it comes to succeeding in American wrestling now.

Perhaps the WWE can set the stage for Sin Cara to assume Mysterio's role, however.

The ideal situation would involve Sin Car and Mysterio ending their relationship as tag-team partners in order to have a match at a future WrestleMania. It would be a friendly rivalry, with Sin Cara winning the match and Mysterio passing the torch before retiring.

Sin Cara would essentially replace Mysterio as the new Mexican icon in WWE, and that alone should help him. Also, maybe Mysterio could be kept on as a manager. I'm not sure whether or not Mysterio is one of those guys who wants to retire as soon as the in-ring portion of his career is over, but he would be a great mouthpiece for Sin Cara down the line.

Another route to go would be to have Sin Cara turn heel on Mysterio and align himself with Alberto Del Rio. While Del Rio isn't great on the stick in his own right, he could help Sin Cara get over as a heel. Also, it would be easier for Sin Cara to express himself as a heel without speaking because taking shortcuts and cheating in matches speaks for itself.

Whatever the case, unless Sin Cara has a manager of some sort who can talk for him once Mysterio moves on, he'll be a run-of-the-mill mid-carder, at best. Also, unless it's the Tag Team Championship alongside Mysterio, Sin Cara isn't likely to ever win a WWE title without a spokesperson, either.

Being able to speak to and connect with the fans is just as important as wrestling ability—perhaps even more so in professional wrestling today. Without Mysterio by his side, Sin Cara is basically only half a superstar, so his potential is handicapped unless he has help down the line.